PR4D5 - All good things must come to an end.

We woke up late, slowly packing and taking turns in the coffin-sized shower, before walking back to the airport for our Midday flight. This time, we stopped midway for icecream. It was a fantastic idea. A more fantastic idea would have been to rent a golf cart or a jeep so we didn't have to walk everywhere, but live and learn.

We hung around in the breeze and shade outside the airport, waiting for our flight and for a car/scooter to crash while climbing the steep hill opposite. (Un?)fortunately, they all made it.  The flight itself flew over the ferry, the port of Fajardo, and the highway we crossed from San Juan. It was like watching our travel in reverse-fast-forward (Back in the old days, we had these rectangular DVDs called VHS tapes...)

We parked on the Tarmac at San Juan and were escorted in a back door, passing through some of the underbelly of the airport (with luggage conveyors everywhere! I would take this tour).  Then it became the traditional airport pattern of layover-meal-flight, layover-meal-flight.

Truth be told, I have no idea how I held it together today.  I think a lot of it was I knew I'd be with Brice most of the day, so the goodbye's wouldn't come til later.  Plus, taking a puddle-jumper from island-to-island is half the fun of being on an actual island, so since my weight put me in the fortuitous position of window-seat, Brice trusted me with his camera and I relentlessly documented our flight.

As I've said before, Brice is always able to stay calm and carefree during stressful times, which enabled me to enjoy the last moments of Puerto Rico--hearing the last bird songs, watching the last lizards waddle from shade to shade, and taking a last look at the ocean.  Even he was impressed with how well I kept it together.  I didn't cry until we said our goodbyes at the layover, a stranger actually asked if I was okay. I know the sounds of Puerto Rico, particularly the waves (and roosters), will stay with me.